Beech V35B accident near Sagle, Idaho, August 27, 1998
On August 27, 1998 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N35MM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sagle, Idaho. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which led to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1998 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Sagle, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N35MM · registry record · serial D-9467
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while approaching the airport, the engine lost power. The pilot switched from the left fuel tank to the right, and his attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. He initiated a forced landing to an open field. During the gear-up landing, the airplane spun around, slid through a drainage ditch and a fence before coming to rest. Inspection of the airplane revealed that less than a quart of fuel was present in the left fuel tank, and about 9 gallons of fuel was in the right fuel tank. No evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found. The pilot stated that he had flown this route before and on the previous flight, he had refueled. On the day of the accident, the pilot elected not to refuel.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B4F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBP San Luis Obispo CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: SZT Sandpoint ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SZT, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N35MM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.